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Homo Eximius
"It is not the strongest or the most intelligent that survive, but those most able to adapt." Eximius Humanis--more widely known as Extrahumans, Superhumans or Metahumans--are a sub-species of evolved humanoids originating from the planet Earth. As a whole, most members of this species look like standard humans in physical appearance. Their primary distinction as a species is the presence of a genetic mutation that often results in superhuman powers that allow them to perform tasks beyond the capacity of homo sapiens. History Origin While nobody knows where or when the first extrahuman came about, there is strong evidence that suggests Homo Eximius existing before the time of Christ. Nobody is certain exactly when or how they came to be, but there are some theories. Some believe they are a natural byproduct of humans forcing drastic evolution in order to cope with our drastically changing environment, while others believe they are the result of extraterrestrial genetic experimentation. Early History The extrahuman population has always been relatively low, compared to that of homo sapien. It is believed that the stories of gods, monsters and heroes found in mythologies around the world are actually stories about ancient extrahumans. Indeed, in that ancient time, the extraordinary powers exhibited by such beings would be viewed as magic and the people themselves seen as gods. These early extrahumans were venerated and respected, and most likely lived comfortably when not engaged in battle with other extrahumans. The Middle Ages As time went on, and Christianity and Islam both began their spread, feelings and views of Extrahumans changed. They came to represent paganism and witchcraft. A mass execution of extrahumans occurred in the eleventh century, most violently in Constaninople. Since then, Extrahumans have taken to hiding in order to survive. In 1481, church leaders met and began to hunt Extrahumans (known then as Witchbreed) during the Spanish Inquisition. This literal witch hunt lasted until the Inquisition's disbanding, in 1834. It is believed many witch hunts were originally sparked due to extrahuman activity of some kind, though it is probable that not every victim was an extrahuman. Indeed, there has never been a darker time for extrahumans. It is estimated that between 1481 and 1834, 96% of Europe's extrahuman population were executed. The Victorian Era As the Victorian era dawned, Extrahumans received a surge in population thanks to a Lightning Storm that bestowed remarkable powers to a large chunk of the population. These individuals, known as "Wonders", tended to keep their abilities secret in fear, though some became career soldiers, others became explorers and adventurers, others private detectives and others still worked as performers, magicians, spies or inventors. The public's love of mysticism and seance only further pushed the novelty of the Wonders of the time. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (a real group, surprisingly) was formed by the Queen several times through the age, each iteration composed of Wonders, Inventors and Adventurers who came together to fight against enemies of the Crown or to otherwise keep the world safe from the shadows. Things changed in 1888, when the Jack the Ripper murders shocked London. His elusive nature came from his power to turn invisible. His reign of terror ended when the League brought him in with the help of telepath and police inspector Frederick Abberline. In the wake of The Ripper's horrorshow, the Queen determined that all news of Wonders should be kept a secret from the public, and thus the League of Extraordinary Gentleman became the Pinkerton Agency, whose mission became to take down rogue extrahumans around the world. The Americans Across the Atlantic Ocean, in America, Extrahumans did not receive the novel attention they did in England. For the most part, they remained in hiding, especially after the savagery displayed during the Salem Witch Trials. In fear for their lives of exploitation by the government (something that occurred rampantly in the Revolutionary War), exrahumans hid and tried their best to blend in. The government was still very interested in finding and bringing in Extrahumans, who they would essentially extort into government service. During this time, a majority of extrahumans were found in the south, especially among the slave population, though that isn't to say that there was not a sizable number found elsewhere. The Black Brotherhood was a group comprised exclusively of black slave extrahumans, who were sent on suicide missions for the American government, who could plausibly deny their existence. Many extrahumans participated in the push westward toward states like California, Washington, Oregon, Kansas and Texas. The unprecedented freedom of such lawless locales provided them with the safety and security to use their abilities in whatever way they desired, so long as they stayed out of the public eye. Many famous figured of the Old West, including Sitting Bull, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, Davie Crockett and Wyatt Earp were extrahumans, as well as the men who served as the basis for Paul Bunyan, John Henry and Johnny Appleseed. When the Civil War broke out, extrahumans from both sides fought for their countries. This was a period of extreme exploitation that resulted in upwards of 65% of the American Extrahuman popultion wiped out during the period of Civil War. The Early 20th Century At the dawn of the 20th century, in 1909, a rogue extrahuman known only as Jude Smith led an assault on the American White House, with the intention of establishing a "Superhuman Regime" with himself as the head. His fanatical ideals claimed that Extrahumans were superior to homo sapien in every way, and that ruling mankind was the only way to establish peace. Despite his large following, Smith was defeated and jailed. In the wake of his retaliation, based in part on the bitterness many felt in the wake of the Civil War, the American Government founded the Extrahuman Defense Agency, known in the shadows as The Ghostworks, and terminated their extrahuman programs (while also initiating a hunt of many extrahumans themselves). Many Extrahumans fled to South America, Africa, Alaska and India to hide. World War II Adolf Hitler is, in large part, the reason extrahumans found themselves in the eye of various world governments. Hitler and the Axis Powers utilized extrahumans during the war, most notably the Nazi Uber Mensch Squad (NUMS). The NUMS were a major component of the Nazi Blitzkrieg, which forced the allies to recruit extrahumans to fight back. This unit, known as the Allied Super Squadron, fought in several large scale conflicts (it is known they participated in various fronts, in both Europe and the Pacific). Recent History The success of the Allied Super Squadron caused a revival of extrahuman activity, especially in the United States and Russia, who would soon be enveloped in the Cold War. Both sides have been utilizing extrahumans for espionage and defense purposes against one another. The Cold War is colloquially known by various groups in the US Government as "The War of the Supermen". Physical Characteristics Extrahumans are a result of a rare genetic mutation in humans. This meta-gene is naturally occurring. Those born with the gene have no powers at birth and can live their whole lives without realizing what they are. The overwhelming number of Extrahumans appear human in every way. They possess the same basic musculature, internal workings and psychology of homo sapiens. While a few have the appearance of other creatures, with some looking completely alien in nature, the majority are human in appearance. The United States studies indicates that there are around 40,181 documented, confirmed, living extrahumans in the United States alone (meaning about .02%, or 1 in 4,500 people possess the gene). Numbers tend to fluctuate with time, however. Their numbers tend to be higher around the change of a century and lower near the sixth or seventh decade of a century. It is widely thought that the emergence of extrahumans tends to rise every hundred years due to an astrological event known as "The Flux", which occurs within the same timeframe. It is unknown why this correlation seems to exist or what properties the Flux exhibits that imbue human beings without the gene with abilties. 'General Abilities' Extrahumans are all known to possess certain common traits beyond their unique superpowers. '--Enhanced Strength:' Most, if not all extrahumans possess a degree of strength above that of a normal human of their size and build. '--Durability: '''Extrahumans are far more resistant to physical injury than homo sapien, as they can withstand knife attacks, blows by vehicles and superstrength, impacts from long falls, severe burns and gunshot wounds that would kill a normal human. '--Enhanced Stamina:' Extrahumans tire slower than humans, but they cannot go indefinitely. '--Enhanced Healing Factor:' On average, Extrahumans heal faster than a normal person, and they very rarely develop scars. 'Superpowers' The primary trait that set extrahumans apart from homo sapiens are their capacity for superpowers. Extrahumans possess a brain anomaly that has imbued them with some kind of superhuman ability, allowing them to perform tasks that are beyond the capability of homo sapien. Their bodies tend to evolve to allow them to perform their ability without killing themselves. For example, an extrahuman with the ability to run at supersonic speed will have developed the physicality to protect them while moving at such high speeds, or those with electrokinesis having a resistance to electricity. These powers are often accompanied by difficulties in social psychology, as an Extrahuman's perspective is skewed by their abilities. This makes relating to humans difficult at times. For some, this can mean inclusion somewhere in the Autism Spectrum. For others, this can mean a short temper, schizophrenia and other mental or social disorders. It seems the rapid evolution and adaptation that occurs to the human body when it gains a power often triggers a negative psychological reaction. This goes a long way to explaining the tendency many extrahumans have toward becoming criminals. It is impossible to determine the power any specific individual will exhibit as an extrahuman. There seem to be thousands of variables that determine an Extrahuman's power. It seems to be based primarily on biology and genetic makeup, although mental factors are sometimes thought to play a role. Most extrahuman possess a single ability, which often evolve and take on different aspects. It is almost unheard of for an extrahuman to possess two or more unrelated abilities. 'Secondary and Tertiary Mutations' While rare, this phenomenon entails heightened mutation on the part of the extrahuman. This often involves the emergence of an additional power that is different from their original power, or an ability that functions from a different source. These are usually minor in nature and do not alter or affect their primary powers. In some rare cases, the development of a secondary or teriary mutation comes in the form of a dramatic physical mutation, such as an alteration in skin color or texture, the growth of horns, wings, claws, a tail or some other major physical alteration. 'List of Known Powers' The following is a list of all known superhuman powers that have been displayed or talked about in the Generation X campaign: *'Electrokinesis: The ability to generate electrical pulses capable of shutting down electrical devices within a certain radius. *'''Emotional Contagion: The ability to influence the emotions of others. *'Flight:' The ability to affect one's personal field of gravity and propel through the air by force of will. *'Hyper Adrenal:' Utilize fight or flight response at wil to gain heightened physical attributes. *'Hyper Intelligence:' Increased cognitive function, bestowing superhuman intellect on the user. *'Magnetism:' The ability to manipulate the magnetic field of an object, thereby allowing the user to control any metallic objects nearby. *'Pheromone Control:' Can manipulate pheromones to control other people's minds or to induce an emotion. *'Precognition:' The ability to see glimpses of the future. *'Pyrokinesis:' Produce binary chemicals which react at different points of excretion on the body to produce a violent thermal reaction capable of starting intense conflagrations. *'Superhuman Senses:' The ability to control the sensory processing in the brain. A typical use of the ability is to refocus mental resources from other senses into one. The one focused sense is enhanced to an extremelu superhuman degree, but the other senses are temporarily blinded. *'Superhuman Speed:' The ability to run faster than other extrahumans, moving faster than the human eye can perceive. *'Terrakinesis:' The ability to send shockwaves into the earth, enabling the user to control stone, dirt and earth in their immediate vicinity. 'Breeding' Children of the Homo Eximius species most often have abilities, though this differs depending on the parentage. If both parents of an extrahuman child are extrahumans themselves, then there is a huge chance that the child will themselves have abilities. Considering how close their genetics are to their parents, the resulting power is often similar to one of their parent's abilities. Sometimes they have the exact same power as their parent. However, seeing as powers can vary to an extreme degree based on currently unknown variables, it is not uncommon for children to have radically different powers altogether from their parents. So, if the parent of a child has superhuman speed while the other has telekinesis, it is not out of the question for the child to develop either power, or even something like pyrokinesis or flight. It all depends on genetics. Siblings rarely have the same power. Neither of these results are common when crossbreeding between Homor Eximius and Homo Sapiens. Familial power similarities are not exactly passed from parent to child. While the two species can breed, fertilization is difficult and often results in unsuccessful pregnancies; only one in six of these children survive to full term. This is the primary explanation for the relative lack of extrahumans after a few generations until each Flux. However, it should be noted that all children of even one extrahuman parent are extrahuman, even if they do not themselves have powers, as they posses the latent meta-gene; the gene is always passed on and even if not active, it is still present. It is not unheard of for powers to skip one or even two to three generations. It is only in extreme cases when the child of a human/extrahuman coupling is born with no metagene. 'Transmission of the Meta-Gene' The localization of the meta-gene is set on the 23rd chromosome, which appears to be the sexual chromosomes, gonosomes. The meta-gene is on the X chromosome, and is carried by both males and females. This has led some circles to refer to it as the "X-Gene", though this is significantly less common. 'Habitat' Homo Eximius are native to the planet Earth of the Sol system. They are capable of surviving and thriving in any environment a human can, and also some that are so harsh that other humans cannot. This, of course, is highly dependent upon the individual mutation. Additionally, some mutations enable survival on completely alien worlds. 'Diet' Extrahumans are able to eat everything humans eat, with just as varied a pallette. In some cases (again, depending on the mutation) certain extrahumans can eat metals, stone, magma or even undergo photosynthesis in order to gain sustenance. Classification When dealing with extrahumans, it is always a good idea to understand how each is classified. The basic classifications are listed below. 'Prime Extrahumans' A Prime Extrahuman is one born with the gene and awakens naturally, though the power will not activate unless some kind of stress or pressure is on the extrahuman in question, or if they are experiencing powerful emotions. This type tends to be extremely rare early in the century. 'Awakened Extrahumans' Through an external source, a human being is exposed to an intense source of theoretical particles, with electricity working as a cataylist (usually, but not always, a lightning bolt). These events tend to occur during Storms that naturally occur during The Flux. 'Artificial Extrahumans' On several occasions, people have tried to mimic or reproduce extrahuman abilities. Some governments have even gone so far as to create their own extrahumans from human materials, in attempt to genetically create an artificial extrahuman. Such attempts typically end in failure or termination of the subject. Most such subjects tend to be malformed or psychologically unbalanced, generally citing lack of empathy and/or violent tendencies. 'Power Manipulation' There have been some instances in which extrahumans have lost their powers altogether, usually through strange external means, though most often through an individual with Power Transferral. Others have been given powers through similar means, or have had their powers reinstated. 'De-Powered Extrahumans' Most de-powered extrahumans are the result of Power Transferral, though some other conditions can remove a power. A psychological block (such as undergoing some sort of trauma or through telepathic influence), a lobotomy or some other artificial means. Some effects, such as Power Nullifying ability, are temporary. When power nullification is in effect, it suppresses the meta-gene. When power transferral is in effect, the meta-gene is masked entirely. Despite effectively becoming "standard" humans, some depowered extrahumans consider themselves cultural metas, despite not having powers. The depowered extrahumans tend to be unaffiliated with any radical groups or but some band together to form other groups or stick with their former groups for safety or out of familiarity. There are some implications that de-powered extrahumans can still produce extrahuman offspring. Depowered extrahumans are generally divided into two categories: *'Pans:' Stands for P'ass '''A's 'N'ormal. These are former extrahumans who now appear completely human. *'''Rems: Stands for Remnants. These are former extrahumans left with some artifact of their former powers, such as horns, bone crests, wings or odd tentacles. Re-Powered Extrahumans Some former extrahumans have been repowered by various processes. This overwhelmingly only occurs through means of Power Transferral. There are other ways, however. Some rare cases exist in which an extrahuman lost their power, only to have it re-emerge during a traumatic incident. Such individuals tend to spawn the same power as before, though some extremely rare exceptions exist. Notes *"Homo Eximius" means "Extraordinary Human". *The term "Extrahuman" is used in the campaign to describe evolved humans.